The specific goals of the proposed research are to characterize the complex and tightly bound glycosphingolipids of the cell membranes and to determine which are involved in formation of protein-lipid complexes, to isolate cell organelles and determine the glycosphingolipids composition therein, to show the subcellular location of an enzyme(s) involved in sulfation of complex glycosphingolipids and in overall to broaden our knowledge of glycosphingolipids and their implication in cell membranes structures. Gastric mucosa from hog and dog will be used to study the chemistry of glycosphingolipids. Protein-lipid complexes will be purified and studied to determine which glycosphingolipid(s) is (are) in these associations. Subcellular fractionation of gastric mucosa will be performed to analyze glycosphingolipid composition of each subcellular fraction and to establish the location of enzymes involved in sulfation of the complex glycosphingolipids.